Inferno Pepper Plants
- Pepper plants, including infernos, originated in South America. Although called plants, inferno pepper plants actually resemble bushes. Mature plants grow between 1 and 4 feet tall. Inferno pepper plants yield hot, waxy banana peppers about 7 to 8 inches long. Young peppers start out as yellow and turn orange and eventually red, as they mature and ripen. The fruit has a dense flesh and lots of seeds that contain each capsaicin -- the chemical that provides the pepper's heat.
- Inferno pepper plants need a relatively lengthy growing season, about four to five months or longer, of warm temperatures to develop and produce fruit outside.
Plant seed mid-to-late spring once the ground thaws and evening temperatures are consistently at or above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Choose a spot for plants that gets plenty of sun. Provide about 1 to 2 feet of space between each plant to allow ample room for spread. Ensure plants have access to well-drained moist soil, and apply a balanced fertilizer once plants are established. Plants typically start to bear fruit anywhere from 60 to 90 days from the time of planting. Expect healthy inferno peppers to produce fruit throughout summer months and possibly until October. - An inferno pepper plant produces about 7 lbs. of peppers when grown in the right conditions. Additionally, inferno pepper plants have one of the longest, most consistent harvests of all pepper plants, with production ending early fall.
- Pick inferno peppers when they're orange-red or red. Use garden pruners to cut peppers at their stems to prevent damaging fruit. The peppers' large size makes them generally easy to retrieve, although you want to wear gloves to avoid coming in direct contact with capsicum that can irritate skin and eyes.
